Revcort's Ramblings

Scripture Focus

John 6:48–60 (ESV)

“I am the bread of life… So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you… Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” John 6:48a, 54, & 58c (ESV)

Devotional Thought

The closing portion of John 6 is meant to unsettle us. Jesus does not soften His language or explain Himself in ways that make the crowd comfortable. Instead, He presses deeper: “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.” Even many of His disciples recoil. “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?”

It is hard—especially for ears that are only listening on the surface.

Jesus has been developing this teaching throughout the chapter. He identifies Himself as the Bread of Life, sent down from heaven. Just as God provided manna to Israel in the wilderness, the Father has now provided something greater—Someone greater. The manna sustained physical life for a day at a time, but those who ate it still died. Jesus offers life that does not end.

The manna was never only about hunger. It taught Israel to live by daily trust—receiving what God provided instead of hoarding or controlling. It also pointed forward, quietly teaching that true life does not come from bread alone, but from God Himself. Jesus now declares that He is the fulfillment of that lesson. What manna hinted at, Christ completes.

So what does it mean to eat His flesh and drink His blood?

Jesus is not calling His hearers to literal consumption, nor is He teaching that salvation is found in a ritual act. He is calling them to full participation by faith—to receive His sacrifice as their only life, their only hope. To “eat” is to trust. To “drink” is to rely. To feed on Christ is to exchange our self-reliance for His finished work, not once, but continually.

This is why His words offend. They leave no room for partial commitment. Jesus does not offer inspiration, improvement, or supplementation. He offers Himself. Life is not found in admiring Him from a distance, but in abiding in Him completely.

Communion, then, becomes a powerful reminder—not a means of earning or maintaining salvation, but a visible testimony of a spiritual reality already received by faith. It proclaims that Christ is our life, our nourishment, and our sufficiency. Baptism testifies to the same truth: His death counted as ours, His resurrection now shaping our lives.

This teaching divides the crowd because it divides humanity. Some want bread that satisfies temporarily. Others want life that lasts forever. Only one is offered here—and it comes at the cost of surrender.

Reflection Questions

1. Why do you think Jesus intentionally used language that would be difficult and offensive to some listeners?

2. In what ways are you tempted to treat Jesus as a supplement to life rather than your source of life?

3. How does the imagery of daily manna challenge the way you trust Christ day by day?

4. What does it look like for you to “feed on Christ” in your ordinary routines?

Closing Prayer

Lord Jesus, You are the Bread of Life. Forgive us for wanting Your gifts without fully receiving You. Teach us to trust Your finished work completely—not in rituals, not in effort, but in faith. Help us to live daily on what You provide, to abide in You, and to find our true life in You alone. Amen.